Greece Is The Word


I discovered a small, overgrown park full of forgotten statues -- all with sports themes -- while I was cycling in the Prague suburb of Liben awhile back.

One of the unexpected pleasures of writing this blog continues to be my interaction with so many cool readers, from the Philippines to Norway, Australia to Russia and everywhere in between, it seems (including some obscure island off the eastern coast of Africa).

In addition to leaving posts on the blog itself, many write to me at my Yahoo address, asking cycling advice or passing along comments. I try to answer every one.

I received a really nice e-mail from one reader in Greece the other day, which I thought I'd share:

Hi Grant,

I'm Costas from Thessaloniki, Greece. I've been reading your blog for a few months now (from your "Gotta Chata" post, to be specific), and I have to admit it has really grown on me! : )

I loved Praha ever since I first visited it (a very cold week back in December 2002), and I’ve come back as often as I could ever since, either with my wife or alone.

Up until now, and apart from a couple of trips to Karlovy Vary and Plzen -- the former for being so famous a town, the latter for, well, the beer! : ) -- I was staying in the urban areas of the city, enjoying the architecture and its special ambiance but contending myself with its great parks and Petrin hill as far as nature was concerned ...

Well, reading your blog, I came to realize that there is a great deal to see going off the beaten track around the city center in those places that to me were just difficult to pronounce names on the metro map!

I can’t pretend I’m a dedicated biker (although I owned a mountain bike until a few years ago, when it was stolen), but after reading your blog regularly, well, I almost wish I was going around the Bakerloo Run myself, seeing the city in a way I haven't done before! : )

Which brings me -- with the possibility of being in the city at the end of this month -- to ask you if there are maybe in Praha any organized bike tours that you know of?

And can you maybe please give me some more details where that park of forgotten statues is, the one near Liben going to Karlin, I mean? I was captured by that idea of a district somehow frozen in an era that is gone forever, derelict buildings and all, complete with works of forgotten art seemingly taking refuge in some overgrown, neglected somehow sad, green corner ...

Well, I hope that this wasn’t too long a missive ... Thank you for the interesting reading and, hey, keep it up!

Cheers,

Costas

P.S. Did I mention I especially like the beer aspect of your posts? : ) I’ll try to find that Blues Shack in Hlubocepy. You’re right -- it’s too cool to miss, what with smoked klobasa and all ... I’ll try to get to the Koliba place, too, although that seems a bit more complicated.

I told Costas to look me up when he gets to Prague and maybe I can take him out to Liben myself. I also passed along the contacts for Ave Bicycle Tours and City Bike, which I hope will help.

Again, thanks to everyone who reads this blog, and especially to those who take the time to give me feedback, either on the blog itself or by e-mail.

I'm feeling pretty good now after suffering through a nasty cold, and I plan to go riding on Friday at the latest, so stay tuned.

Comments

Julia said…
Glad you're feeling better! You've inspired a whole group of my friends to try Prague biking. We've only biked in the countryside here, but now we're getting ready to have a go at your Roztoky route. The Budvar at Koliba was my winning sales point ;-).
Anonymous said…
Hi Grant,
once again, thank you for your courteous reply and your generocity of spirit.
Great to hear you're over your cold and hope to see you over some cools beers one of these days. : )
Loved your choice of title for this post btw... : )))

Best from a 42 centigrade-d Greece,

Costas.
Grant Podelco said…
Julia,

Your note is so nice! Thank you. And your own blog is very well done and nicely written. I've added it to my list of favorites (www.kolokolo.blogspot.com).

Let's go riding sometime!
amidnightrider said…
Grant: I is nice to know that people are reading your blog. Getting to know them through notes and e-mail is especially rewarding. But those who read only are just as appreciated.
Julia said…
We're up for a ride most any weekend - especially if it flattish for us newbies. "Costas loop" sounds just the thing.
Anonymous said…
and, again, late but "on time" kept captured by the statues, and something made me "whalely" glad, well ...by the end of july wrote a poem ( my native language is spanish ) and one of the verses talks about statues, by them they were only in my mind, it is so well to enjoy this reading and at same time discover part of the real image that surreal verses talked about.

Un hombre de bronce desnudo\ Me mira desde su asiento esculpido\
Te recuerdo frente a mi espejo otonal\ Esa imagen fue tu complice leal\ Cuando te reflejaba dormida senti celos\ Rompi aquel espejo y esculpio mis ojos\ Hizo solo mis manos eternas y despertaste.

Destruye mis miedos, amame entre sombras\ Despojame de toda ceniza, huyamos a tu alma.

thanks for the pic !
Anonymous said…
Hi Grant.

Very interesting blog. I wish someday I can go to Prague and tour by bike. I fell in love with biking again and just like you an avid photographer. I don't know if you have visited the Philippines. It is not as bike friendly as Prague or other places in Europe but has its share of exciting places to see.

Regards.
Grant Podelco said…
Hi, Fol,

Thanks for the kind words. No, I haven't been to the Philippines, but, as with most places on Earth I haven't yet visited, I would very much like to.

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